Top Ten Tuesday: Standalone Novels I Wouldn’t Mind Seeing a Sequel For

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Standalone Books That Need a Sequel.” In all honesty, I like a good standalone and I’m perfectly content with these books being standalones, but for the sake of this week’s topic, I’ll list some reasons why it wouldn’t be the most horrible thing in the world to learn any of these were getting sequels. Also, I could only come up with nine. Covers are linked to Goodreads.

1. Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson – I had such a blast getting to know Mila and the girls she brought back from the dead. I wouldn’t mind seeing them try to solve a series of mysteries over many books. I’m also always in the mood for Lily Anderson’s witty characters.

2. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken – This remains the only book by Alexandra Bracken that I love. I tried her The Darkest Powers and Passenger series and they do nothing for me. But her fantasy debut is one of my favorites and I wouldn’t seeing her return to this world.

3. Iron Cast by Destiny Soria – I love the two leads (and who doesn’t love a novel that focuses on friendship?) in this one so much and the 1919 setting and magical system has me wanting more. I’d love to revisit these characters and see how they are doing.

4. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – The multi-layered world-building in this one makes me feel like their are more stories to be told in this world.

5. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – This is one of the few fae books that I absolutely adore. I know Rogerson is coming out with a new book in a few months which I’m absolutely stoked about, but I also wouldn’t mind seeing some kind of companion novel for this one.

6. Pride by Ibi Zoboi – So my vision for this would be more like a series of companion novels. Wouldn’t it be great if Zoboi wrote retellings of all the Austen books with Afro-Latina leads? I’m smiling so big thinking about it.

7. Rook by Sharon Cameron – You ever read books and understand why someone wouldn’t like it, but it just really works for you? That’s how I feel about Rook. I understand why it’s not rated higher, but I just love it so much.

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I think we’ve all been collectively holding our breath for the next Erin Morgenstern novel and I’d by lying if I didn’t say that during this time, I didn’t dream about a sequel to this magical novel.

9. The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera – Margot was one of those characters whose growth you felt really invested in and I’d love a sequel where we could continue to see her grow as a person.

What are some of your favorite standalone novels? Any of these you are also a fan of? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.

The Rook and Certain Dark Things both sound like they’d be tailor made for sequels, if the author ever chose to go that way! Both are on my TBR too, as I’ve heard so many good things. Especially Moreno- Garcia.

I agree about An Enchantment of Ravens – fae books don’t often work for me, but this one did, in every aspect. I’d love to see more of that world too!
And if Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote more books in the Certain Dark Things universe I’d read them for sure (…especially if there’s more Atl in them)

Rook was pretty good, and I do agree that it could use a sequel! Certain Dark things was such an amazing read, as was The Education of Margot Sanchez! I think in terms of a sequel, I’d love one for Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage, or Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (I recently finished that and was hoping for more of an ending).

Amazing list! I’d be so happy Undead Girl Gang got a sequel, it was such a fun read and I miss the zombie girl squad. I love your Pride-companion novels idea. I’m not usually into Austen-retellings, but I would be if Ibi Zoboi wrote more!

I’ve encountered quite a few TTT participants having trouble with the theme this week (I know I did!) I guess we really like our standalones… Now that you mention it Rook would probably be well suited to a sequel (I can’t remember all of it but… but I remember enjoying it)

I feel like standalones are especially uncommon in speculative fiction… while I like series as much as the next person, there’s something really special about standalones! They’re just fantastically contained, I guess? It’s always impressive when an author manages to build and explore a whole new world in just one book.

If the topic was companion novels instead of sequels, I could think of loads of books I would want written. I don’t always want to know what happens next, but I do want to know what other characters are up to.

I’ve read none of these, but several of them are on my TBR. xD I really can’t wait to get to Pride, especially since I just read a “modern” retelling of Pride and Prejudice last month. Which was okay. But I’ve heard great things about Pride. An Enchantment of Ravens sounds fantastic, too, and that’s definitely going on my TBR!